DETERMINED fundraisers braved the snow to take part in a charity sleepout at Guildford Cathedral on Saturday night (February 4).

The annual Guildford YMCA Sleep£asy event is held to raise funds to help disadvantaged young people, but the particpants had not bargained for the freezing conditions that faced them on the night.

Mayor of Guildford, Councillor Terence Patrick, visited to motivate the nine volunteers, among them the High Sheriff of Surrey Professor Michael Joy, who adopted a remarkable array of measures to combat the cold.

YMCA boss Peter Brayne favoured a duvet cocoon while using a cardboard structure to keep his head warm.

Sadly, during the small hours the duvet began to soak up melted snow resulting in a 5am retirement to the warmth of the Education Centre.

He said: "I thought that in this, my fourth sleepout, I'd devised a cold-proof plan, but the cold isn't the only problem. Back to the drawing board next year."

Volunteer Angela Rhydderch had secured some heavy duty cardboard boxes and constructed a small house, while Jannie Vermeulen, a supporter from the South African Church embarking on her second sleepout, took up a fairly exposed position at the end of the garth.

Other than students returning to their halls of residence and some late-night drivers experimenting with the snowy conditions the night passed without incident.

The sleepers woke to bacon sandwiches and hot drinks, with some volunteers saying the challenge had been better than they anticipated.

"If anything I felt too warm at one point," said Denise Herrington of Elstead-based GBH Law.

"I had so many layers of clothing and I was in between two colleagues, Christine and Hamish, so I was pretty sheltered."

The Sleep£asy raised £11,500 last year with an aim for £11,000 this year - just over £7,000 of which has been made so far.